Mugabe family in school land grab

FORMER President Robert Mugabe’s family is embroiled in a nasty fight over land in Borrowdale, which reportedly belongs to a Harare private school owned by the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ), which former First Lady Grace Mugabe reportedly grabbed when her husband was still in power.

BY Everson Mushava

Eaglesvale Senior School has now renewed its fight for the large piece of land donated to it by RCZ close to 40 years ago and registered under the Eaglesvale Daisyfield Trust (EDT).

The land, measuring 23 hectares, runs from where Borrowdale Road intersects with Harare Drive to where it intersects with Crowhill Road and Helensvale shopping centre, the road that leads to Mugabe’s expansive Blue Roof mansion.

The elite school reportedly intended to build a campus on this piece of land, but Grace grabbed it with the help of former Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo without Eaglesvale’s knowledge.

Since then, Grace has been producing maize on the piece of land. But last week, probably banking on Mugabe’s fall from grace, EDT returned to the land and erected a billboard on it.

The poster was however, pulled down on Monday after Mugabe’s family reportedly enlisted the help of the police to force EDT to tear down the billboard.

“The Mugabe family came here yesterday (Monday) afternoon. His (Mugabe) car was parked there, but we did not see him and we don’t know if he was the one inside or just his wife.

“But we recognised the car, which used to have the Zim1 number plates,” a witness at Helensvale shopping centre said.

“His security team, comprising of four men, went to Borrowdale Police Station and came back in the company of some police officers.

“I just heard they called Eaglesvale officials, who sent some men to unlock the gate to the property, which they had locked.
“The security team then pulled down the poster.”

According to the witnesses, who declined to be named, officials from Eaglesvale erected the billboard last week, which was then pulled down five days later after the intervention of Mugabe’s family and the police.

A source close to the police told NewsDay that a man, who claimed to be the Eaglesvale headmaster, visited the police station last week and asked for an escort to help him erect the billboard, saying the land belonged to the school and had been illegally grabbed by the Mugabes.

“He was asked for proof that the school owned the property and he claimed they had all the papers, but did not produce anything.
“He was told to go through council and he left. However, he proceeded to erect the billboard, change the locks to the gate and placed [the property under] guards.

“Mugabe’s family came yesterday (Monday) and the old man was there in person.

“They asked for police escort to break the lock, went inside and pulled down the billboard and left.”

The school is currently situated in Willowvale industrial area on a stand belonging to the National Railways of Zimbabwe and had intended to move to its new premises in Borrowdale.

Eaglesvale School head Dennis Anderson yesterday referred questions to Enos Chomutiri, the institution’s board chairman, who was not reachable for comment, as he was said to be travelling to Masvingo.

National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said: “This matter is civil involving two parties, who are engaging each other. Police were simply notified and no police officer took part save for advising them to engage each other.”

Grace is at the centre of many land fights, particularly in Mazowe, where she grabbed land belonging to citrus firm Interfresh and was on the verge of throwing out villagers at Manzou Farm.

Hey sometimes we can be so petty. Yapinda papi nyaya yehukama whake na Jonso ipapa? You want Evans to recuse himself from reporting on Mugabe because he is friends with Jonathan! You need to understand that reporters are supposed to be neutral!

Sounds like Mr Mushava is a professional. Despite his friendship to Jonzo he goes on to report the story factually. At any rate I don’t see where he is being negative towards former first family. It is an incontrovertible fact that Grace-40 during her tenure as first lady was a quarrelsome uncouth land grabber.

I’m beginning to realise that the whole operation restore legacy coup was merely about Mnangagwa & Chiwenga preserving their own personal lives that had come under threat from Mugabe, otherwise nothing has really changed. Grace Mugabe is still up to her usual misdemeanors & the rest of the corrupt ministers & crew are still roaming the country scott free as never before

Something meaningful must be erected at this big piece of land not to put it to waste by growing maize on this prime land., i used to wonder what the hell was going on all along and now i am answered, it had been unlawfully grabbed, and sooner or later this unknown family will not have money to develop this land which now need serious players to give the area a good status.

Take that land away from Gire & uncle. This land was grabbed around 2010-2011. We know much about it. Before being grabbed there was a poster of Eaglesvale School.Mugabe nemhuri yake havanyare shuwa. They thought they owned Zimbabwe thats why Mugabe used to say ‘my Zimbabwe’ at international fora. To hell with you and your shameless Marujata

but is it like that. soon after ED was excommunicated from zanu, the lacoste guys said mugabe has 13 farms but until upto now no action is taken. please expedite ur actions. some people wants to use such prime land. thank you

This private school says the land was donated to them. By Whom and where did this person buy it from. These white people stole land from Zimbabweans. Council must repossess the land and sell it to house builders. Neither the private school nor Grace should have it. They are both thieves. Just because one thief is white doesn’t mean he is a better thief. Police asked him to produce documents of ownership, why didn’t he go back with those documents. Because its land stolen from the country originally by whites then donating to each other.

I agree with u Cath, I buy your idea (to let both parties lose).Personally I would not suggest housing to be the best land use in this leafy location. Same whites will afford buying the stands. But to make it a business park would be my vote. then more jobs and revenue. our Harare needs swift transformation, from an old face to a modern City where CBD should is no longer be the constituent stashed with every business activity. we need decentralisation to easy all the unnecessary congestion in the former sunshine city.

Sure police are still living under G-40, corruption, the man asked them to accompany him to put a board and they refused but when gire came and ask them to accompany her to pull down the board they compile. why police why didnt you do the same and ask mugabes to go and report their nyaya to the city council and court will judge the owner of the land. why you want many people to suffer bcz of your corruption and one’s selfishness. please stop this.

mugabe was once a genious n we should all appreciate all the gud he did n as a human being he fails sometymz so do nt say he ruined the country coz thoz hu hav taken over from him myt b worse than him coz they were ther wit him lootin in this honey land .l would like to say lets all pray that God give us a leader like bob with leading qualities

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, which is a Chapter 12 Independent Commission with the mandate to foster national healing in Zimbabwe, needs to have it’s 10-year mandate reinstated if it is to fulfil its Constitutional mandate. ...